NBC Sports continues to acquire Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers for its upcoming NBA coverage.
The network announced Tuesday that it hired Tracy McGrady, the seven-time NBA All-Star and a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Class of 2017, as an NBA studio analyst for both NBC and Peacock. He joins fellow Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter on the studio show alongside hosts Maria Taylor and Ahmed Fareed. Michael Jordan was also announced as a special contributor to NBC Sports’ upcoming coverage.
The thought behind NBC’s NBA studio hires, according to someone briefed on the coverage philosophy, is to have enough on-air talent for scale. The company has a significant amount of NBA inventory arriving this year, including three consecutive nights of studio programming starting next February. There will be no set lineup for the studio; NBC plans to mix and match.
NBC’s other on-air hires include Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller and Grant Hill. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle are the main play-by-play voices.
McGrady has worked in broadcasting for ESPN (where he appeared on “The Jump”) and TNT Sports, where he occasionally appeared on “Inside the NBA.” He played 16 seasons in the NBA, including with the Toronto Raptors (1997-2000), Orlando Magic (2000-2004) and Houston Rockets (2004-2010). The Athletic named him in 2021 as one of the NBA’s 75 Greatest Players.
“Basketball has given me everything, and I’ve always just tried to give that same energy back,” McGrady said in a statement.
“I hope I can bring the same passion, insight and love for the game that’s driven me since I was a kid, to all who tune in to watch on NBC and Peacock. I couldn’t be more excited to join this team alongside so many others I admire.”
In July 2024, the NBA signed an 11-year media rights deal with NBC/Peacock, ABC/ESPN and Amazon Prime Video beginning in the 2025-26 season. The NBC/Peacock coverage begins on Tuesday, Oct. 21, on Peacock. NBC and Peacock will air coverage on Tuesday nights beginning in October.
Big picture: NBC Sports will air up to 100 regular-season NBA games, including sometimes four games a week for portions of the season. After its “Sunday Night Football” coverage concludes, NBC Sports will launch “Sunday Night Basketball” across NBC and Peacock, which has a shot to hit as a successful franchise play, given Sunday still represents the most watched night on linear television.
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